Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi said he ordered a sum of 60,000 Egyptian pounds (around $7,600) to be paid to each family of the deceased and called for measures to be taken to prevent future collisions. Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab has formed a committee to review legislation related to Nile River management.

Egypt also replaced the head of the River Transport Authority in response to the collision, state media reported Saturday.

The collision late Wednesday night happened when a passenger boat traveling down the Nile near Cairo collided with a scow, causing the boat to capsize. The scow's captain and his assistant have been detained on suspicion of manslaughter.

Nile traffic has been heavy, especially near Cairo, as Egyptians celebrated the Eid al-Fitr holiday following the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.